Intelligent NBA content, exhaustively researched and written with care

Friday, May 4, 2007

Series Wrap-Up: Suns-Lakers

Suns win series 4-1. This result is not overly surprising. This is not last year. The Lakers simply did not have a) the firepower to match the Phoenix Suns, b) a perimeter defender capable of staying with the absurdly fast Leandro Barbosa, and c) a big man able to bang with Amare Stoudemire in the paint (Kwame Brown was exposed in this series- he NOT an NBA player!). Lamar Odom played well and helped the Lakers stay competitive, but Kobe needs a lot more help. To the “This is what he wanted when Shaq was there” crowd: get a grip on yourselves. Whether it is what he wanted or not (and sure, it probably is), reality is what it is and this team needs to retool (in a hurry!). Plus, it’s probably a safe assumption that giving away Caron Butler for 2008 NBDL MVP Kwame Brown was not Kobe’s idea.

With the Dallas Mavericks on their way out of the playoffs, the Suns will now face the “Same Old Spurs” in the Western Conference Semis for the title of “Most Likely NBA Champion”. This should be a fantastic series. The Spurs, having just ousted the Nuggets, an athletic, up-tempo along the same lines as the Suns, will bring a lot more out of the Phoenix than the Lakers did. Then again, the Suns are not exactly the Nuggets!